How to use exit-intent Pop Ups to recapture abandoning visitors

Exit-intent Pop Ups appear when your visitor is about to leave your site. The technology detects when a cursor moves to close a tab, moves to the address bar or hovers over the “X” to close the window. These actions trigger Pop Ups and give you one last chance to connect with your audience. 

How to recapture through Pop Ups

VerticalResponse Pop Ups are a great tool to have at your disposal, but make sure you’re using them wisely. Follow these tips to make exit-intent Pop Ups work for you. 

Do:

• Use a simple design with a healthy amount of white space — the blank areas surrounding the text, images or graphics. This will make it easier for visitors to understand the information in the Pop Up at a glance.
• Use an image that complements the text to lend trustworthiness to the message and grab attention.
• Create clear calls to action (CTAs) that attract the eye and prompt visitors to take action.
• Ask a yes or no question. This engages visitors. People are inherently risk-adverse and feel empowered when given a choice. Potential questions for exit-intent Pop Ups are along the lines of these: “Do you really want to leave?”; “Want a discount before you go?”; “Do you want to stay up to date on all the latest?” and so on.
• Make the benefits of signing up for your email list the largest part of your Pop Up.
• Using a discount to incentivize sign-ups through your Pop Up? Create a sense of urgency by adding an expiration date.

 

Don’t: 

• Don’t crowd a bunch of words together that are difficult to look at, let alone read.
• Don’t forget a CTA. A Pop Up will not do any good if visitors don’t know what to do with it.
• Don’t create one-size-fits-all Pop Ups. Visitors have unique reasons for leaving, and how they respond to Pop Ups will vary. Experiment with messaging and try using different Pop Ups on a few of your site’s pages. 
• Don’t be overly aggressive or pushy with the language on the exit-intent pop-up form. 

 

Designing an effective exit-intent Pop Up

Now that we’ve gone through all the do’s and don’ts, you’ll need to create compelling content for your Pop Ups. Here’s how to get started. 

1. Begin with a clear benefit statement. Give the visitor a reason to continue engaging with your brand. Whether that’s more content, a discount or the promise of great emails being delivered to their inbox, the Pop Up should let them know the benefits of signing up for your list. 
2. Create an engaging headline to get noticed. Make it scannable. 
3. Use an offer that appeals to your audience. Don’t offer a free marketing e-book if visitors are trying to purchase pencils.
4. Put it where they can see it. The center of the screen is a common choice.

Pop Ups are an additional chance to communicate and establish relationships. Their importance can’t be understated. From boosting sales to retaining customers who planned to leave, VerticalResponse Pop Ups, and especially exit-intent Pop Ups, can help your business goals. The longer visitors stay, the better chance you have of turning them into repeat visitors.

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© 2018, Lindsey Bakken. All rights reserved.

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Why ‘You’re Not Your Audience’ Isn’t Always Great Advice

If there were such a thing as the Ten Commandments of Marketing, “You are not your audience” would likely make the top five. And for good reason: Generally, it’s solid advice. “You are not your audience” reminds us to question assumptions and never stop learning about the people we aim to persuade. But I have
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Community Over Competition? (FS282)

Have you ever shared ideas with colleagues, a mentor or a student? Has this become a point of concern around originality, ownership or intellectual property? How do we go about navigating these potentially dangerous waters?

We at Fizzle are all too familiar with the perils of these types of feelings but we are also here to tell you how you can get past these issues and transcend the games of jealousy and possessiveness.

In this episode we begin by unpacking the different ways in which we can run in trouble over the ownership of ideas. From there, the discussion turns to some rumination on the freedom of ideas and we look at the history of jazz as a great example of legacy, tradition and individuality.

We also talk about how the communication and reproduction of similar ideas can lead to a rising tide for everyone and how generosity and grace can beget great rewards. A big takeaway from the talk is how reliant any type of culture or progress is on the borrowing and reinterpretation of ideas.

With that in mind we want to inspire you to command and negotiate these areas with joy and openness for your and others’ success. Tune in to hear it all!

Subscribe (how to)   iTunes   Overcast   Pocket Casts   Stitcher   Google Play   RSS  

---

 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Community over competition and the sharing of ideas. [0:06:12.4]
• Our fears around upsetting our teachers and collaborators. [0:08:41.2]
• The spirit of creativity, jazz and the borrowing of ideas. [0:12:19.7]
• The two different views on the limits of intellectual property. [0:16:53.6]
• Culture or the history of who is borrowing from whom. [0:19:27.4]
• The rising tide and the insecurity of intellectual possessiveness. [0:25:29.2]
• Leadership, stepping back and allowing others to shine. [0:31:21.8]
• The link between generosity and your own success. [0:35:03.5]
• Understanding the relationship from both points of view. [0:39:21.2]
• A commitment to honesty and working through difficulty. [0:45:24.2]
• The continual opportunity for succeeding together with collaborators. [0:51:33.1]
• And much more!

 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

• Fizzle — https://fizzle.co/
• Everything Is A Remix — https://www.everythingisaremix.info/
• Star Wars — https://www.starwars.com/
• Akira Kurosawa — https://ift.tt/2q6vUwP
• Courage and Clarity — https://www.courageandclarity.com/
• Corbett Barr on Twitter — https://twitter.com/CorbettBarr
• Chase Reeves on Twitter — https://twitter.com/chase_reeves
• Miles Davis — https://www.milesdavis.com/
• John Coltrane — https://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-coltrane-mn0000175553
• Wes Montgomery — http://www.wesmontgomery.com/home/
• Thelonius Monk — https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2017/nov/06/get-inside-the-music-the-ineffable-genius-of-thelonious-monk
• Maria Popova — https://www.brainpickings.org/
• Austin Kleon — https://austinkleon.com/
• Brené Brown — https://brenebrown.com/
• Elizabeth Gilbert — https://www.elizabethgilbert.com/
• Glennon Doyle — https://www.thecut.com/2018/04/glennon-doyle-is-coming-to-get-the-white-women.html
• Rob Bell — https://robbell.com/
• Derek Halpern — https://socialtriggers.com/
• Rudyard Kipling — https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/rudyard-kipling
• StoryBrand — https://storybrand.com/
• Science of People — https://www.scienceofpeople.com/
• Robin Williams — https://ift.tt/2O8cljV
• The Art of Low Competition Business Ideas — https://fizzle.co/sparkline/the-art-of-low-competition-business-ideas-fs129
• The Difference — https://fizzle.co/sparkline/the-difference-copying-your-mentors-vs-becoming-your-best-self
• Gary Vaynerchuk — https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/
• Gary Vaynerchuk’s 3 Most Power Strategies for Getting More… — https://fizzle.co/sparkline/gary-vaynerchuk-on-getting-more-visitors
• Start A Blog That Matters Course — https://fizzle.co/start-a-blog-that-matters
• Fizzle 80/20 Copywriting Guide — https://fizzle.co/sparkline/writing-copy-for-web
• Fizzle Try 5 — http://fizzle.co/try5
• Fizzle Toolkit — https://fizzle.co/toolkit
• Fizzle Goals Course — https://fizzle.co/courses/goals
• Fizzle Journaling Course — https://fizzle.co/courses/journal
• Fizzle Roadmap — https://fizzle.co/sparkline/small-business-roadmap-1-clarity
• Fizzle Craft + Commerce — https://fizzle.co/sparkline/craft-commerce
• Fizzle Project Management for Entrepreneurs — https://fizzle.co/sparkline/project-management-for-entrepreneurs
• Energizer Planning Method Episode — https://fizzle.co/sparkline/energizer-planning-method-get-year-back-track-fs215
• 15 Minute Weekly Planner —https://www.courageandclarity.com/plan/

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Interactive Content Marketing: Taking Personalized Marketing to the Next Level

Dear marketer, let me ask you a simple question: Which CTA would compel you to click?

I’m sure you said you’d click on the right side of the page, just like we would. If so, why does your webpage still look like the image on the left?

Nearly 74 percent of online consumers get frustrated with websites when the content (e.g., offers, ads, promotions) has nothing to do with their interests. Even if the content adds value, it lacks a personal touch and gets lost in the vast arena of content available on the internet.

You surely understand personalization, but don’t know how to correctly leverage it and stand out from the competition.

Well, you’re not alone. Sixty percent of marketers struggle to personalize content in real time, yet 77 percent believe real-time personalization is crucial.

The solution?

Inbound marketing coupled with personalization is the way to go. Why? We'll elaborate.

To begin with let’s talk about something that everyone does.

A consumer visits an ecommerce website, searches for a product, and looks at the options. Based on their shopping history, the site automatically serves up highly personalized product recommendations. But, do they click? And do they buy more products than they would have if they’d been left to their own devices? Yes. According to the data, ecommerce websites that have a product recommendation feature saw a 4.6x increase in conversion rate, 24 percent add-to-cart rate increase, a 26 percent lift in revenue share and average order value increase of 10.3 percent.

That’s the power of personalized marketing.

Now imagine another scenario. Your visitors come to your site and see a quick quiz that asks, “Which Jeans are the Best Match for your Personality?” or one that says, “Which Quirky Shirt Should you Buy Today?” In under 90 seconds, the quiz will recommend a product from your website – it’s like talking to your visitors about their needs without actually having to talk to them.

Now, that’s the power of interactive content marketing.

And why does this work, you may ask?

Well, interactive content takes personalization to the next level as it asks visitors to self-identify relevant information. This makes them believe your brand cares and makes them less reluctant to part with their email address. Thus, interactive content also makes for a great lead generation tool. In fact, some brands have generated upwards of 50K leads through a single interactive marketing campaign! What’s more? Since interactive experiences present the shoppers with a definitive answer and instant gratification, they’re more likely to come back and do business with you. This increases brand loyalty.

Use Cases

Let’s understand the various forms of interactive content you can use to make your marketing campaigns more personalized.

Quizzes — Imagine there are two real estate firms - A and B. Firm A’s website talks about their services, offers customer testimonials, and provides contact details. Firm B’s website has an embedded quiz.

 

This quiz seems highly personalized as it asks visitors the most relevant questions (e.g., how important is it that you live in a specific neighborhood? etc) while engaging them and saving them the trouble of doing lengthy research work. Based on the responses, it recommends whether they should buy a house or rent one. Which real estate firm do you think will get more leads? We say, Firm B.

Quizzes are known to get you up to 4X more leads. Brooklyn Bicycle Co.’s quiz “Which bike is right for me?” asks shoppers three simple questions, has a lead generation form right before the results, and gives its own product recommendations as outcomes. With the outcome, it adds a CTA to shop that product.

Pro Tip: You can create effective quizzes for any industry or product line.

• Travel agency – What exotic destinations are top bucket-list locales for you (i.e. newlyweds, young professionals, Virgos, etc.)?
• Fitness trainer or gym – Yoga or extreme fitness: What exercise format will get you in top form? Low carbs or low fat: What diet best suits your lifestyle?
• University or educational institution – What major will have the greatest impact on your financial health?

This idea spreadsheet can help you get started with generating quiz ideas for your business.

Calculators — Just like they did with the quiz, Firm B could also embed a calculator on their website. 

 

Their calculator gives detailed estimates backed by logic and shows a graphical representation of the results.

Calculators are a great way to crunch numbers for your clients and add a quantitative value to generic questions. When you do that, we’ve seen click through rates go up to 66 percent. 

Pro tip: Again, you can make a calculator for any industry and any purpose. For instance, create a calculator to help prospective students budget for college; help digital marketers plan spend levels for advertising; or help businesses estimate the cost of legal services.

Polls and Surveys — Polls and surveys make participants feel like their opinions matter. If you can capture this psychological hack, you can pave the way to a goldmine of leads. They also help you get insights into the demographics of your prospects.

Pro tip: Make a poll that connects your brand to trending topics. This results in higher engagement rates. For instance, this poll was one of The New York Times’ most successful stories in 2016.

Make a survey for getting a product feedback or create one before launching a new product line or feature to find out more about the requirements of your audience.

Getting the Drift?

Interactive content is like talking to your visitors about their needs. Ask yourself. When you visit a website, would you like something like this or would you like to be slapped with random offers?

I rest my case. 

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10 Modern Proofreading Tips to Catch More Avoidable Goofs

Traditionally, proofreading is a separate task from editing. And I still treat the two as different activities. However, the creative benefits of a consistent proofreading process surpass the classic definition of proofreading. Modern content marketers can take advantage of proofreading to avoid the all-too-common extremes of caring too little or too much about your content.
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Go Wild, Indulge or Kickback by the Pool: The Bracelet that’s Key to Vacation Cool

What’s your vacation dream? Adventure? Luxurious indulgence? Lounge by the pool with a glass of something cool?

The holiday reality though … not so much. Lock yourself out of ─ and your cash in ─ your room. Not enough money with you to buy that must-have in the mall. Miss a spur-of-the-moment romantic dinner because your card is by the bed. Stress over where to put your wallet when you’re windsurfing in a skin-tight swimsuit. Sound familiar?

Now imagine a vacation getaway where cash, IDs, credit cards, and keys are a memory as distant as the world you left behind. A holiday where everything just works without a second thought. A holiday where all the resort has to offer opens up to you with the wave of your wrist. And crucially ─ a holiday where no wallet spoils the line of your Speedos. 

Innovations in data-driven customer experience make it possible.

Melia’ Hotels International and Oracle have not only imagined that carefree holiday experience, they’ve turned it into a reality. In just four months, they developed a personal passport that marries beautiful form with efficient function for new levels of guest freedom. And it looks great with whatever you’re wearing.

The Journey

Seamless customer experiences are central to Melia’s business model as it launches a new breed of resort ─ offering different vibes depending on a guest’s whim. From adrenalin-fueled adventure to sumptuous shopping to laidback luxury, the new resort has it covered. The trick is transporting customers from one experience to the next ─ taking them on a journey through a resort without borders.

The Melia’ Bracelet, of course, gives guests keyless access to their rooms. But there’s more: The bracelet allows guests to:

• Pay for everything across all three ‘vibed’ areas of the resort. 
• Tailor their interests and buy add-ons based on them.
• Shop in the mall cash and credit card free

And the Melia’ Bracelet allows the hotel to know where guests are ─ adding another level of safety and security ─ while also informing better planning based on factors such as customer movements and attendance at events.

The Reality

Imagine a holiday where your hotel room unlocks itself as you approach, welcoming you with your choice of music and lighting. A holiday where your preferences tailor experiences to enhance your stay. A holiday where you book dinner at a restaurant you’ve never seen but are sure to love, buy a new top from the hottest label (with a personalized discount) and get your name on the VIP list at the best nightclub with the flick of the wrist.

Imagine no more, because the bracelet is making the dream a reality at Melia’’s Sol Katmandu Park Hotel and at the newly opened Calviá Beach The Plaza ─ right now. And built on Oracle’s cloud platform, it will evolve ─ with plans to adopt AI to bring new levels of personalization to the holiday experience. This constantly adaptable tech gem will keep guests constantly coming back for more ─ and drive in-resort revenue.

Gabriel Escarrer, Vice President and CEO of Meliá Hotels Internationals, has no doubt as to what has made this project special. "In Meliá Hotels International we have imagined a new vacation where our guests can enjoy all the hotel services without worrying about carrying identification or money.  And we have made it a reality thanks to an innovative project in collaboration with Oracle."

“Co-innovation has been central in enabling Melia’ to bring their imagination to life”, explains Neil Sholay, Vice President of Digital, Oracle EMEA. “Melia’ started this project with an idea and a passion to improve the guest experience. This project proves that by combining Melia’’s expertise in hospitality with Oracle’s business innovation and technology strength, it is possible to take truly transformational ideas and turn them into reality. In a matter of weeks, together we have co-created an experience beyond expectations.”

Go wild? Indulge? Kick back by the pool with a glass of something cool? The choice now really is yours.

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4 fall email newsletter best practices every business owner should know

Did you know that your customers love newsletters? Recent polls have shown that 90 percent of consumers prefer to receive company updates from email newsletters. But that doesn’t mean that you can phone in your next email. If you want to build a strong relationship with your subscribers and ensure that they look forward to your messages, you have to keep brushing up on email newsletter best practices. Now that summer is drawing to a close, it’s time to take your newsletter back to school. Follow these tips to create compelling newsletters for the fall season and beyond.

Make sure your newsletter is scannable

This newsletter design best practice should be at the top of your mind all year long. But if you’ve slipped up, and have accidentally been creating overly long messages or cramming text and photos together in your emails, now is the time to hit reset on your design process. The holiday season is a major revenue driver — and it’s right around the corner. You don’t want to turn off readers before you even have a chance to launch your promotional campaigns in the winter. So, start creating newsletters that are easy to scan.

• Break up content into small blocks of three or four sentences to make it easier for subscribers to mentally process information. 
• Create bulleted or numbered lists when appropriate (i.e., when listing tips, writing out steps for a how-to or presenting brief company updates).
• Use headlines for each section, so readers can quickly get the gist of the email before they dig in.
• Don’t skimp on the whitespace. Give your readers’ eyes a break by making sure there is plenty of blank space surrounding text, images and graphics.

Remember, you could have great content with tons of useful tips and information, but if it’s all buried in a wall of text, it’s likely to be ignored. Check out this email from Tasting Table to see how the company balances whitespace, images and text: 

Create a fall-themed how-to, checklist or guide

The goal of a newsletter — and really all content — should always be to add value to the lives of your readers. If your content isn’t going to entertain, inform or solve a problem, there’s no real reason for anyone to click on your messages. Of course, it isn’t always easy to come up with compelling ideas, but the good news is that you have a built-in theme and jumping off point with seasonal newsletters.

Think about all the ways that your business is uniquely equipped to help subscribers prepare for the season. A clothing retailer could celebrate the return of sweater weather with a fall trend report, a plumber or contractor might provide tips on weatherproofing homes, and a landscaper could offer autumn pruning and gardening advice. Consider what your readers want this time of year and create educational content that will help them satisfy that need.

Have fun with copy

Want to add some flair to your newsletter copy? Get punny. With seasonal content, there are so many opportunities to weave in puns, emojis and fun phrases. Subject lines and headlines are the best places to try out your clever fall wordplay. In this example from Petco, cute, fall-themed headlines are used to present holiday pet tips:

Get started now

The early bird gets the email clicks, so start creating your newsletters well before they need to be sent. Doing so will give you ample time to review messages before they go out, enabling you to check for any typos and perfect your email layout. It will also make life a little less stressful. You have so much to do to keep your business running smoothly, and you shouldn’t have to scramble to get your emails out on time.

Be mindful of upcoming events, promotions and other important dates that you want to mention in your newsletter. For the fall, that might include Veterans Day, Halloween, the beginning of basketball and football seasons, and Thanksgiving. After you’ve created your newsletter, use VerticalResponse’s Email Automation to schedule it.

Newsletters are a great way to keep in touch with your target customers, boost website traffic and highlight the benefits of using your products and services. Make sure your subscribers are enjoying your messages by referring to these newsletter best practices all year long.

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© 2018, Amber Humphrey. All rights reserved.

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